ABOUT
welcome
you’re already part of the family
We believe everyone can find their place at First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake (FCC).
We believe that the church body is most dynamic when every individual is valued and given the
opportunity to share their spiritual gifts and unique perspectives to build and lead the
community of faith. While we celebrate one God and our calling to follow the way of Jesus
Christ, we develop and express that relationship in differing ways.
At FCC, we want you to know that “Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey… YOU
are welcome here.”
what to expect
We recognize that many people who visit a church for the first time do so with a bit of fear and
trembling, but we hope that you feel warmly welcomed and comfortable at First Congregational
Church of Crystal Lake. First Congregational Church is a spiritual home to people from all walks
and stations of life, believers and questioners, people from a range of backgrounds and faith
perspectives, who come together to worship God, become more like Jesus and serve God’s creation.
We have highlighted some key information in this section, but the best way to get to know First
Congregational is to talk with the people here. Don’t hesitate to strike up a conversation with
one of our pastors, ushers, greeters or the people in your pew, and learn more about our life of
worship, fellowship and service together.
what we believe
- We the friends and members of First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake believe in the extravagant love of God for all people.
- We believe God’s grace and forgiveness were embodied in Jesus Christ. As members of the body of Christ we seek to be a living example of Christ’s welcome, acceptance, and love.
- We do not presume to tell anyone what they must believe, for ours is a community of free inquiry and searching.
- We promise to share with you our experience of faith and ask that you share yourself with us.
- In this way we shall learn from one another, grow stronger, and more often be faithful to God as servants to all people.
- We profess our faith in God, our Divine Creator; our willingness to be guided by the Holy Spirit; and our love for Jesus Christ, the son of God, in whom we find our hope.
- We promise, as members of this church body to contribute to its support, growth, and activities in ways fitting to its needs and to our own capabilities.
- We will seek to build our Christian community by sharing in worship, caring relationships, service, and study together.
- We do this for the glory of God, for the good of all humanity, and for our own growth in Christian grace, faith, and fellowship.
- We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit, who is made known to us in Jesus, our brother, and to whose deeds we testify:
- God calls the worlds into being, creates humankind in the divine image, and sets before us the ways of life and death.
- God seeks in Holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.
- God judges humanity and nations by that will of righteousness declared through prophets and apostles.
- In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, God has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the whole creation to its Creator.
- God bestows upon us the Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the Church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.
- God calls us into the Church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be servants in the service of the whole human family, to proclaim the gospel of all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ’s baptism and eat at Christ’s table, and to join Christ in the passion and victory.
- God promises to all who trust in the Gospel forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, the presence of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in that kingdom which has no end.
- Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto God. Amen.




open and affirming to all:
The ever journeying people of First Congregational Church, UCC of Crystal Lake, Illinois, are
proud to be a church with open minds, open hearts, and open doors. We invite all people to join
us in our faith journey toward greater love, understanding and mutual respect.
We declare ourselves to be an Open and Affirming congregation, welcoming into the full life and
ministry of the church persons of every race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender
identification, age, physical ability, and economic status.
We commit to model a community of faith and spirit that offers openness and understanding to
promote justice, healing and wholeness of life for all people.
We believe that the church body is most dynamic when every individual is valued and given the
opportunity to share his or her spiritual gifts and unique perspectives to build our community
of faith.
united church of christ:
FCC is a church in the United Church of Christ (UCC) celebrating over 175 years of ministry in Crystal Lake. The UCC is a distinct and diverse community of Christians that come together as one church to join faith and action. With over 5,000 churches and nearly one million members across the U.S., the UCC serves God in the co-creation of a just and sustainable world. The UCC is a church of firsts, a church of extravagant welcome, and a church where “…they may all be one” (John 17:21).
stephen ministry supported:
Stephen Ministers are congregation members trained to offer high-quality, one-to-one Christian care to people going through tough times. We all experience challenges in life — times when we could benefit from the support of a caring Christian friend. The loss of a loved one, a hospitalization, a divorce or separation, loneliness, unemployment, serious illness, depression, issues related to aging. Any one of these events can send us into a tail-spin. Stephen Ministers are ready to provide the emotional and spiritual care you need when faced with a crisis or difficulty. For more information or if you are in need of a Stephen Minister’s support, please contact Pastor Emily (emily@fcc-cl.org).